Matthew V. Novenson, "Paul and Judaism at the End of History" (Cambridge UP, 2024)

Sep 13, 2025

Matthew V. Novenson, the Helen H. P. Manson Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, explores the intricate relationship between Paul and Judaism. He argues that Paul’s radical thoughts, often seen as anti-Jewish, stem from his unique understanding of eschatology—where the end of history is perceived as present. Novenson delves into the complexities of Paul’s views on the law, his interpretation of 'Judaismos' in Galatians, and the moral implications for Jews and Gentiles. He also discusses his ongoing research and future projects.

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ANECDOTE

Novenson's Academic Background

Matthew Novenson introduces himself as a Bible scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary with a background at Edinburgh.
He notes his Tennessee origins and his research on New Testament and ancient Judaism.

INSIGHT

Rethink Our Categories

The Paul-and-law puzzle seems intractable because modern categories force a Judaism vs Christianity frame.
Novenson argues Paul does not think in those binary religious categories, so the puzzle can be resolved.

INSIGHT

Eschaton Is Present For Paul

Paul treats the eschaton as present rather than distant because he believes the risen Jesus signals the end of history now.
This presentist eschatology reshapes how Paul talks about law, people groups, and covenant promises.

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The apostle Paul was a Jew. He was born, lived, undertook his apostolic work, and died within the milieu of ancient Judaism. And yet, many readers have found, and continue to find, Paul's thought so radical, so Christian, even so anti-Jewish – despite the fact that it, too, is Jewish through and through. This paradox, and the question how we are to explain it, are the foci of Matthew Novenson's groundbreaking book, Paul and Judaism at the End of History (Cambridge University Press, 2024). The solution, says the author, lies in Paul's particular understanding of time. This too is altogether Jewish, with the twist that Paul sees the end of history as present, not future. In the wake of Christ's resurrection, Jews are perfected in righteousness and – like the angels – enabled to live forever, in fulfilment of God's ancient promises to the patriarchs. What is more, gentiles are included in the same pneumatic existence promised to the Jews. This peculiar combination of ethnicity and eschatology yields something that looks not quite like Judaism or Christianity as we are used to thinking of them.

Matthew Novenson is the Helen H. P. Manson Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is also an honorary fellow in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, where previously he held the Chair of Biblical Criticism and Biblical Antiquities. His monographs include Christ among the Messiahs (Oxford University Press, 2012), The Grammar of Messianism (Oxford University Press, 2017), Paul, Then and Now (Eerdmans, 2022), and Paul and Judaism at the End of History (Cambridge University Press, 2024).

Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023).

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